Short answer: the best time to visit Guatemala is November to April, the dry season, with sunny days, cool nights and the clearest volcano views in Antigua and around Lake Atitlán; February to April is driest at Tikal. Holy Week in Antigua, 21–28 March in 2027, is the most spectacular and most expensive week of the year. May to October is the rainy “green season”, with clear mornings, heavy afternoon showers, fewer visitors and lower prices.
In Guatemala, altitude matters more than the month: the highlands are spring-like all year, while Petén and the coasts are hot. This page goes through the weather and events month by month and region by region, as of October 2026. For entry rules, money, volcano hikes and getting around, see our Guatemala travel guide, and plan your days with our AI trip planner.
Best time to visit Guatemala at a glance
| Goal | Best months | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best weather (highlands) | November–April | Dry season; almost no rain from December to February |
| Tikal and Petén | February–April | Driest months in the jungle; drier trails |
| Volcano views and hikes | November–March | Clearest skies, before the spring haze and the heat |
| Lowest prices, fewest crowds | May–October (except Holy Week and August holidays) | Rainy green season; mornings usually clear |
| Holy Week in Antigua | March or April (21–28 March 2027) | Processions over carpets of colored sawdust and flowers |
| Day of the Dead kites | 1 November | Giant kites in Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez |
| Lake Atitlán boat trips | November–April, mornings | Calmest water in the morning; dry season clearest |
| Caribbean coast | March–May | Driest months on a coast with rain in any month |
Guatemala weather month by month
Weather month by month
The table shows average daily highs and lows and monthly rain from the 1991–2020 climate normals that Guatemala’s National Institute of Seismology, Volcanology, Meteorology and Hydrology (INSIVUMEH) submitted to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), archived by NOAA. At INSIVUMEH’s own station in Guatemala City, at about 1,500 m (4,900 ft) and close to Antigua’s climate, highs stay between 23.5 °C (74 °F) and 25 °C (77 °F) all year and lows between 15 °C (59 °F) and 17 °C (63 °F). What changes is rain: under 6 mm (0.2 in) a month from December to February, against about 254 mm (10 in) in June and 247 mm (9.7 in) in September. Santiago Atitlán, on the lake, follows the same pattern, with cooler nights of about 11 °C (52 °F) in January. In Petén, Flores is hot, from about 29 °C (84 °F) in January to 36 °C (97 °F) in April and May, and driest in February and March, about 35 mm (1.4 in) a month. In many years, a shorter, drier spell, the canícula, interrupts the rains in July or August.
Guatemala month by month
January
Dry and sunny in the highlands, with almost no rain and the clearest volcano views of the year; nights at Lake Atitlán drop to about 11 °C (52 °F), so bring a warm layer. Petén is pleasantly warm, about 29 °C (84 °F). After the New Year holidays, it is a quieter month.
February
Still dry and sunny, and the driest month in Petén, about 35 mm (1.4 in) of rain at Flores, which makes it one of the best months for Tikal. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (10 February in 2027), and Antigua holds Sunday processions through the following weeks.
March
Dry and warming up, with haze from field burning sometimes softening the volcano views late in the season. In 2027, Holy Week runs from Palm Sunday 21 March to Easter Sunday 28 March, with Holy Thursday to Holy Saturday (25–27 March) as public holidays. Antigua’s processions over sawdust-and-flower carpets are the highlight of the year; book rooms months ahead and expect higher prices.
April
The last dry month in the highlands and the hottest in Petén, about 36 °C (97 °F) at Flores; visit Tikal at opening time or on a sunrise ticket. In years when Easter falls in April, Holy Week fills Antigua and the lake. Showers start to build at the end of the month.
May
The rainy season begins, with about 142 mm (5.6 in) in Guatemala City; mornings are usually clear and storms come in the afternoon. Petén is still hot, and the eastern Pacific hurricane season starts on 15 May. Prices drop after Easter, and Labor Day (1 May) is a public holiday.
June
One of the wettest months, about 254 mm (10 in) in Guatemala City and 279 mm (11 in) at Santiago Atitlán, and the Atlantic hurricane season begins on 1 June. The countryside turns green, and visitors are few. Army Day, 30 June, is a public holiday.
July
Rain often eases for a few weeks in the canícula, and July averages less than June in the highlands. It is a good-value month for language schools in Antigua and for the lake, with sunny mornings. Some North American and European summer travelers arrive.
August
Green and showery, with the hurricane peak starting; storms from either ocean can bring days of heavy rain. Guatemala City celebrates its patron saint on 15 August, a local holiday, and many Guatemalans travel in the mid-year school break.
September
Among the wettest months, about 247 mm (9.7 in) in Guatemala City and 225 mm (8.9 in) at Flores. Independence is celebrated on 15 September (a Wednesday in 2027), with torch relays and school parades on the 14th and 15th in every town. Tikal’s trails are muddy, but the park is quiet.
October
Rain eases through the month in the highlands, though Petén and the coasts stay wet; INSIVUMEH’s outlook for October 2026 forecast heavy rain in Petén, on the Pacific slope and on the Caribbean, with a deficit overall during an El Niño year. Revolution Day, 20 October, is a public holiday.
November
The dry season returns, and 1 November, All Saints’ Day, brings giant kites over the cemeteries of Sumpango and Santiago Sacatepéquez near Antigua and the horse race at Todos Santos Cuchumatán. Skies clear for volcano views, and it is a lovely, still-quiet month before the holidays.
December
Dry, sunny and cool in the highlands, with almost no rain. On 7 December, Guatemalans burn devil effigies outside their homes in the “Burning of the Devil”, and Christmas and New Year are busy with family travel; Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve afternoons are half-day holidays.
Best time to visit by region
Antigua Guatemala
Antigua is best from November to April, the dry season, for clear views of Agua, Fuego and Acatenango, according to INGUAT. Holy Week is spectacular but very busy. In the rainy season, mornings are good for walking the cobbled streets and afternoons for museums and cafés.
Lake Atitlán
Lake Atitlán is best from November to April for the clearest views of its volcanoes, with sunny days of about 25 °C (77 °F). Mornings are calmest on the water all year; in the afternoon, a wind called the Xocomil can make boat crossings rough, so travel between villages early.
Tikal and Petén
Tikal is best from November to April, with February to April the driest; April and May are the hottest. From May to October, the jungle is greener but trails are muddier. In any month, arrive at opening time or book a sunrise ticket, which allows entry from 4 to 6 a.m. with a licensed guide.
The Caribbean coast and the Verapaces
Río Dulce and Livingston have rain in any month, but March to May is driest. Semuc Champey and Cobán, in the wet, green Verapaces, are best in the dry season too, when the river pools are clearest and the roads less muddy.
Best time for volcano hikes, Holy Week and festivals
Volcano hikes
November to March, when mornings are clearest and trails driest; start early in any season, as clouds build by midday. In August 2026, after an intense eruptive phase of Fuego, the disaster agency CONRED stationed police at the Acatenango trailhead to stop tourists from climbing, so check its current notices and go only with a registered guide.
Holy Week
Antigua’s processions run on Sundays through Lent and every day of Holy Week, with the biggest on Holy Thursday and Good Friday. In 2027, Palm Sunday is 21 March and Easter Sunday 28 March. Rooms sell out early.
Festivals
1 November for the kites; 7 December for the Burning of the Devil; 15 September for Independence; and each town’s patron saint fair, such as Guatemala City on 15 August.
Markets
Chichicastenango’s market runs every Thursday and Sunday, in any season; the dry months make the road trip from Antigua or the lake easier.
Seasons to plan around
- Rainy season, about May to October: heavy afternoon showers; landslides can close mountain roads after storms, so check conditions before long drives.
- Hurricane seasons: the Atlantic season runs from 1 June to 30 November and the eastern Pacific season from 15 May to 30 November, according to NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Storms rarely hit Guatemala directly, but tropical storms from either ocean can bring days of heavy rain, floods and landslides.
- El Niño 2026–27: INSIVUMEH said in October 2026 that El Niño conditions are almost certain to last until early 2027.
- Volcanoes: Fuego erupts frequently, and access to nearby trails can change at short notice; follow INSIVUMEH and CONRED.
- Holidays: Holy Week (21–28 March 2027), Christmas and New Year fill hotels and shuttles, especially in Antigua and at the lake.
How long to stay
A week covers Antigua, Lake Atitlán and Tikal; ten days adds Chichicastenango and a quieter lake village; two weeks lets you reach Semuc Champey and the Caribbean. Roads are slow, so allow more time than the map suggests. Our Guatemala travel guide has sample 7-day, 10-day and two-week itineraries.
Best time to visit Guatemala: FAQ
What is the best month to visit Guatemala?
February: it is dry in the highlands and the driest month at Tikal, with clear volcano views and fewer crowds than Holy Week. November is a good alternative, with the Day of the Dead kites.
What is the cheapest time to go to Guatemala?
The rainy season, May to October, outside the August holidays, has the lowest prices and fewest visitors. Mornings are usually dry, so sightseeing still works well.
What is the rainiest month in Guatemala?
June in the highlands, with about 254 mm (10 in) in Guatemala City and 279 mm (11 in) at Santiago Atitlán; September is nearly as wet. In Petén, September and October are the wettest.
When is Holy Week in Antigua Guatemala in 2027?
From Palm Sunday 21 March to Easter Sunday 28 March 2027, with Lent processions on the Sundays before.
Is it worth visiting Guatemala in the rainy season?
Yes, if you plan around the weather: mornings are often sunny, the landscape is green and prices are lower. Hike and travel early, and allow extra time for roads.
When is hurricane season in Guatemala?
From 15 May to 30 November on the Pacific side and from 1 June to 30 November on the Caribbean side, with most storms from August to October. Direct hits are rare, but tropical storms can bring heavy rain.
Sources · last reviewed 9 Oct 2026
Researched and last reviewed by TravelerCenter on 8 October 2026. Temperatures and rain come from the WMO 1991–2020 climate normals for INSIVUMEH (Guatemala City), Santiago Atitlán and Flores, archived by NOAA’s National Centers for Environmental Information; El Niño and the October 2026 outlook from INSIVUMEH; volcano activity and the Acatenango restriction from INSIVUMEH and CONRED; best months for Antigua, Atitlán and Tikal from INGUAT; Tikal ticket hours from the Ministry of Culture and Sports; hurricane seasons from NOAA’s National Hurricane Center. Holiday dates, Holy Week, the kite festivals, the Burning of the Devil, the canícula and market days are general references and are flagged in our sources file. Check official sites before you travel.
Also: INSIVUMEH normals 1991–2020, INSIVUMEH, Guatemala City (climate)
Data: Wikidata (CC0)